The following day, I spent some time at the temple talking with Aimon and Zillassa. They had a lot of questions, but I answered them all.

Callen and Ventus made sure I shared a drink with the squad before I said my final goodbyes. I didn't know them, but they knew me. And I was the hero of the hour. Thankfully, they let me slip away after the second round of drinks.

I promised to visit the island within a year and see how everyone is doing. They had some big plans, and the village was about to undergo significant changes.

The sudden influx of people and the return of their patron god meant the village needed to be bigger than it currently was. And from what Callen and Ventus discussed, it'd keep the village busy for several decades.

Before I left, I stopped and found Alis'treela and told her about Alish'trala. I knew nothing about her family line, but the similarities were too high.

With my farewells said last night at the party, I visited a local food stall and splurged on restocking my snack supplies. The divine essence still affected Chomperz's stomach, but I had enough room to stock a crate or two.

With that taken care of, I met everyone back at the inn. They stood around discussing things, so I walked up and waved hello to Sereza. She waved back before grabbing the bag of fried dough balls I shoved into her hand. And before the others could start complaining, I passed out the rest of the snacks.

With oily yet delicious food, we set off for the island's edge.

----------------------------------------

"So you survived!" Gadoor shouted from his boat.

He was on a new boat that was wider, longer, and made from higher-quality wood. He stepped off the ship; Gawinn nodded and then turned away.

Still shy, eh?

Teddy clasped Gadoor's hand. "Glad you made it. What's with the new boat?"

Gadoor grinned and gestured to his new vessel. "With the gold you gave me, I finally had enough to get a new one made. Just in time, it seems. Are the rumors true? Did a goddess return and brought back a lot of awakened riftborns?"

Teddy nodded. "Indeed. It'll make for an interesting few years. Lots of traffic coming this way, good money to be made for a transport and delivery service."

The implications were clear, and Gadoor smiled brightly. "Aye. I can't wait. Now come, hop on in."

With the increased size of the boat, we could crowd in without being pressed against each other. Even with the addition of Sereza, there was plenty of room.

Gawinn pulled in the anchor, and Gadoor started channeling his skill. Within a minute, we were off and going up the river. The bright early sun shone on the brilliant blue water, and I took in the scene.

Before we turned down a different river that flowed upstream, I glanced behind us and watched the village shrink from view.

I can't wait to see what it'll look like the next time I'm here.

Gadoor turned around. "So, tell me, how was the festival?"

I turned to watch Teddy conjure illusions and begin the tale of Ysanna's Fall. Closing my eyes, I enjoyed the story and decided to nap. Hopefully, we'd be in the capital without delay.

----------------------------------------

I relaxed against Arturous and idly scratched his fur. When Sereza hesitantly sat down near the bear, she glanced over and shook her head. "I shouldn't be surprised you're friends with the giant bear. Do you think any of your familiars will get as big as him?"

I shrugged. "Honestly? I expect almost all of them to be larger than Arturous. My new familiar's mother was the size of a mountain, so odds are, he'll get that big as well."

"A mountain? Mother? When did you get a new summon?" she asked as she stared suspiciously.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention my week-long vacation in the rift.

"Eh, don't worry about it. I'll explain another time. So, what about you? Did you ever get the daggers and wristband identified?"

"Oh yeah, one second." She got up and rummaged around in her backpack before returning with a slip of paper with familiar handwriting.

"Did you get your items identified by Khrem?"

She paused. "Who? You mean the beastkin inside the guild? The alchemist?"

"Yeah, him."

"I bought a few potions from him but mainly needed his identification skill. Here, take a look."

Bandolier of the Abyssal Alchemist

* Poisons stored in this bandolier gain a moderate increase in potency.

Wristband of the Drowned

* The wearer gains a minor resistance to fire and heat-based attacks.

Riteblades

* Used to prepare the victim for sacrifice. Channel mana into the blades to produce a numbing agent on its edge. The numbing agent makes it harder for the body to close the wound.

"Damn, nice. I'm glad the wristband wasn't just a scrap of cloth. Good to know we got something out of that nightmare."

She flashed her fangs. "Oh yeah. Thanks for that, by the way. You didn't have to give me the item."

"Meh. It's not a big deal. You helped take the monster down."

She got a strange look in her eye that disappeared a second later. "Yeah. Hey, what are your plans once we reach the capital?"

"Not sure. I think I'm meeting Teddy's parents and staying at his house. Outside of that? Nothing."

"Do you wanna come meet the other felkins? I did promise to introduce you."

"Sure, you still owe me that drink," I teased.

She laughed and lightly kicked my foot. "And I'll buy it. It's hard to clear the debt when you decided to cook everything last night."

"I'm pretty sure I remember seeing you go in for thirds. Or was I mistaken, and another Sereza inhaled three whifflegruff skewers?"

"Fine, fine. Your food was good." She pointed a finger at me. "Enough food talk. You said you got a new familiar, right?"

"Mhhmm."

"How?"

"What do you mean? I activated my skill and then went to the elemental plains and contracted a spirit," I said nonchalantly.

"Ooookaaay..." she said slowly. She then used her tail to prod my boot. "I mean, what did you replace your skill with?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Ahhh, Cyrus," Teddy interjected. "She's referring to the fact that acquiring a new summon meant you either replaced one of your old skills or one of your familiars."

Oh. Oopsy.

"Yeah, how about we skip over the details?" I asked in a blatant attempt to direct the conversation elsewhere.

Sereza thumped the ground with her tail. "Wait, are you telling me the rift awarded you an extra skill slot? That's unfair!"

I glanced at Teddy, who subtly nodded his head.

Right. This is good.

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"My lips are sealed. Do you want to meet him or not?"

"Fine. Fine. Bring him out."

Celanae summoned a journal and opened it to a new page. "You can begin."

I rolled my eyes and let the world fall away. I entered my soulspace and called to the skill. I had increased the skill's rank without having ever summoned Sturmrorex. It was great for him to experience growth so quickly, but it felt weird.

A skillwisp appeared and shot toward me. It came to a rest near my chest, and I smiled. "Ready?"

Sturmrorex's thoughts came as images of a coming storm and a blinding flash of light as a dragon roared through the heavens.

"That's excessive. Don't flashbang everyone when you appear. They need to be able to see you to appreciate you."

I felt acceptance bleed through, and I shook my head.

I willed mana to connect to the wisp and flow into the channels in my chest. A cold spread throughout my body, and I opened my eyes to watch Sturmrorex appear in the physical world.

His entrance was like a ball of lightning that uncoiled into a windy serpent as long as my arm. Thankfully, he didn't blind everyone with fireworks, but I did hear an adorable roar reach my ears.

"I have appeared before you! It is I, Sturmrorex the Storm King!"

He followed his words with a small gust of wind and a flicker of electricity that snaked around his scales. Winding himself up, he shot into the air, then shot back down and circled around my neck.

The camp was silent, all except the crackling of the fire. Nobody said a word, and I was too stunned to speak. Sturmrex's scales were cold, and I forced myself not to squirm.

It took me a moment to get used to the texture of his scales rubbing across my skin.

"Master, why are they silent? Should they not be in awe?"

I mentally face palmed, wishing I had my mask on so the others wouldn't see my anguish. "Sturmrorex... That was a little much, buddy."

He roared in my head. "Never! A dragon must make his entrance known to all!"

This was going to be a long night.

Isaac was the first to break the spell, and he rolled on the ground with laughter. He guffawed so heavily that he began to sink into the shadows only to reappear, laughing harder.

Sturmrorex beamed with pride, and I felt him hold his head a little higher. "Look, Master, my presence was so strong he has become incapacitated!"

My eye twitched, and I felt my brain skip a few thoughts.

Thankfully, Isaac was the only one who laughed while the others tried their best not to smile or chuckle. Celanae had to turn away and cough to mask her giggling. At the same time, Eodyne and Teddy waved hello to the dragon. Igas remained neutral, but I saw his cheeks threaten to move.

I let out a long sigh and continued. "Everyone, this is my new familiar, Sturmrorex."

I almost added an apology, but I wouldn't make fun of my spirits like that, even if the bastard was already becoming a handful.

Sereza regained her composure and cleared her throat. "Hey there, Sturmrorex. Nice to meet you, I'm Sereza."

Sturmrorex leaned closer, his electricity tickling my face. "Sereza... Yes, it is a good name!"

"Oh?" Sereza asked, surprised. "What makes a name good?"

"It begins with 'S'. Any name that begins with the first letter of my name is a good name!"

Sereza laughed. "I agree."

Sturmrorex nodded. "Of course. A dragon should always be right."

Kill me now. Actually, smite me where I sit.

"Hey, Sturmrorex, is there a reason you're wrapped around my neck like a scarf?"

"Because your shoulders have already been claimed. And while they sit on your shoulders, I shall guard your most vulnerable spot! None shall penetrate through my scales while I am here!"

His words were the equivalent of somebody who was a tad deaf trying to speak at a normal volume. Every sentence spoken came out a little too loud. It didn't help that he spoke with pure confidence in everything. It was endearing in a way, even if it took some adjusting.

Sturmorex sniffed the air and licked it with his tongue. He slowly turned his head till he found Eodyne. He slowly rose till his tail barely wrapped around my neck. "You smell divine! I smell the storm on you!"

Eodyne leaned forward. "I am a child of the stormplains. I will take that as a compliment, young spirit."

"I want to taste it!"

I lightly bopped him on the head. "Don't say things like that, not out of the blue. You want to be respected and feared, not regarded as creepy."

Eodyne chuckled, and she held up a hand. "Do not worry. Spirits, especially lightning, spirits are always like this. It'd be an honour to share my spark with you, Sturmrorex."

I raised an eyebrow. It was surprising to hear Eodyne sound so formal. She enjoyed my other familiars; she always called them by their names, like Teddy. But this was different. Something about the tone in her voice told me to pay attention.

Sturmorex turned to me, and it took me a second to realize he was waiting for my approval. "Just behave yourself. And be respectful."

He bobbed up and down and slowly uncoiled from around my neck. As he rose into the air, there was a change in wind pressure, and my ears popped.

Judging from everyone's reactions, I wasn't the only one.

The night became bathed in blue light as electricity started to light up Eodyne's form. The trees shook their leaves, drowning out the sounds of the fire.

The fire flickered as the sudden gale threatened to steal its fuel. It continued to flicker until it was nearly dead, only a tiny wisp of flames struggling desperately to stay lit.

Sturmrorex continued rising into the air until he was directly above the camp. His body weaved through the turbulence as if it wasn't there. Occasionally, sparks of his own electricity would flare and strike at the dust thrown into the storm.

"Dear storm spirit, I offer thee a gift of my own. Will you accept?"

"Child of the grounded sky, I accept your gift!"

My skull hurt, and I felt the familiar buzz in the back of my head that told me my legacy was influencing my thoughts. I found a different discovery when I tried to sink into our connection. Instead of his emotions bleeding into my own, Sturmorex pulled from my thoughts. Somehow, he was accessing the knowledge I had stored within me without me knowing it.

"Watch, Master! This is an old tradition."

I kept my eyes trained on Eodyne as a small twister built around her body. The electricity hummed and joined the chaotic melody.

Slowly and with practiced movements born from performing the same action over a thousand times, Eodyne extended one arm and pulled back the other.

Between her hands formed a bow of crackling mana. Her hand continued pulling back the string and notched the azure arrow that appeared.

I was starting to get concerned, but I trusted my familiar and the vague knowledge in my head telling me this was okay. Still, I grinded my teeth and refused to blink. This was something sacred, and I wanted to see how my familiar handled it.

The gale picked up speed, and my clothes started to whip around. Eodyne had pulled the bowstring all the way back yet did not struggle. Her movements were slow and graceful. And as she aimed for my familiar, I felt my heart start to race.

For a single moment, it looked like she was about to shoot her arrow at the dragon. However, at the last second, she aimed up and released, sending the arrow screaming into the sky.

I felt Sturmorex's mana begin to flow through his horns, and he turned upward. As the arrow disappeared behind the dark clouds above, there was a flare of mana, and the clouds parted as a lightning bolt came crashing down.

The lightning bolt impacted my familiar's body, and I fought every instinct not to stand up and run to him. I knew from the soullink that he was fine, but the overwhelming mana sent a chill down my spine.

As my eyes adjusted, I saw Sturmorex floating in the sky with his body lit up like a nightlight. His mane was plasma, and his scales were the brightest blue. His horns crackled with remnant lightning that began to fade as his horns absorbed the mana.

Through the connection, I felt the exaltation and joy racing through his thoughts. "Yes!"

His body snaked through the air, and he looked down to find Eodyne with her hands clasped on top of each other, palm to palm.

"A fine gift you have given! Will you accept one of my own?" Sturmrorex called out, his voice echoing itself across the camp.

"I will."

Sturmrorex's winding body began to coil into the air until he aimed his head at the sky. The winds picked up, and their howl rose above the thrum of electricity.

I felt his mana surge, and it pooled in his throat. He raised his head to the sky and opened his jaws.

He requested permission, and I nodded, sending my acceptance. I closed my eyes and watched as the connection to the pool of mana below began to rise. More mana pushed through, and I began to feel its drain.

"This will hurt you."

It wasn't a question it was a statement. The strain from the amount of mana he was using would wreck his body. The thought made me claw at the dirt, but I knew his answer.

"Yes."

I clicked my fangs but remained silent as he kept pulling. Once he reached half of my mana pool, I grasped the connection and stopped the flow.

"Enough."

Sturmorex sent his thanks, and I opened my eyes in time to watch the night turn to day. The thick beam of lightning he sent into the sky zigzagged through the air. When it reached the clouds, it blasted a hole several meters wide, pushing back the air.

I looked at Eodyne and found her staring at the sky with a smile on her face.

I grinned and mouthed the word sorry.

She glanced at me and nodded once before the heavens gave its answer.

A strike enveloped her body and sent me tumbling backward. Arturous roared, but the thunder swallowed the sound.

A flare of pain entered my mind, and I felt as if someone had stabbed me in the heart. I heard Sturmrorex's cry, and I pushed myself off the ground.

Quickly, I sent mana into Verdant Healer and summoned Áine. She appeared and flew off to Eodyne. She stood frozen in place as her body trailed smoke into the air.

I found Sturmorex lying on the ground, his scales ripped and leaking golden blood. Picking him up gently, I brought him to my chest. "Rest well, buddy. You did good."

He whimpered as he tried to raise his head, but I hugged him as carefully as possible before undoing the skill and sending him back to my soulspace.

I wanted to scream and rip something apart but forced myself to calm down. Instead of letting my emotions get the better of me, I focused on Sturmorex's memories and played them in my head.

When I finally opened my eyes, I turned and faced Eodyne as she kept her head high. She clapped her hands thrice before lowering her head and taking a deep breath.

Her outfit sported several holes where burned threads gave off smoke. Her hair was strangely fine, and it was then I noticed the metallic beads at the end of her locks. I felt mana radiate off them even from as far away as I was.

"I won't apologize; it's not my place. But are you okay?"

Eodyne laughed, and it almost disturbed me. She never laughed so loudly, and the fact that she paused to spit up blood didn't help.

"I am fine. For him to breach my defences despite his tier, is amazing enough. Did you feed him mana?"

I nodded.

"Thank you. Such an exchange would have been celebrated in my village. Rarely does the Exchange of Sparks involve a spirit that strong."

My ears tickled as I heard the weird inflection of her voice. When she spoke the ceremony's name, she had done it in her native tongue.

"Don't expect it again. His pain was my pain," I tried to keep the growl out of my voice, but it came through despite my efforts.

Eodyne bowed and sat down as she got into a meditative position. Áine joined her on her shoulder and sent mana into her body.

Sighing, I watched the others get up and dust themselves off. They looked as bewildered as I felt. Poor Arturous' fur was blown out, making him into a giant fluff ball.

I chuckled and summoned Zharia. "Alright, Zharia, Sturmrorex made a mess, so let's get the camp back together."

"I'll peck him later!" Zharia replied.

And I chuckled again as I helped rebuild the campfire.